Toy shooter



G. E. GLINTZ June 23, 1959 TOY SHOOTER Filed 001,. 1, 1957 1N VEN TOR. ma BY Georg/a Ev G/nfz www pme!! United States PatentO TOY SHOOTER Georgia E. Glintz, Des Moines, Iowa Application october 1, 1951, serial Nu. 687,502

j s claims. (c1. 213-129) The present invention generally relates to a toy device and more particularly to a shooter or projector for engaging projectiles for launching the same thereby providing a highly novel and intriguing amusement device.

An object of the present invention is to provide a toy shooter which may be employed by small children for many purposes in which it is desired to launch or otherwise project a projectile with the shooter being extremely simple in construction, easy to use, well adapted for its intended purposes and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a toy shooter incorporating a spring urged plunger having a catch means together with a slidable handle for releasing the catch means whereby the plunger will be projected rapidly in a longitudinal direction whereby the end of the plunger may be employed for engaging any number of small articles for projecting the same in a desired direction.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and `operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of the toy shooter of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 2-2 of Figure 1 illustrating the details of construction of the toy shooter and showing the plunger in extended position;

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 1 illustrating the plunger in retracted or set position;

Figure 4 is a transverse, vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 4-4 of Figure l illustrating the details of construction of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along section line 5-5 of Figure 1 illustrating further structural details of the toy shooter; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view illustrating the details of construction of the handle for operating the catch means.

Referring now specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the toy shooter of the present invention which is generally in the form of an elongated cylindrical barrel 12 having a closed lower end 14 and an upper end 16 provided with an aperture 18 therein slidably receiving an elongated plunger 20 therethrough. The plunger 20 is provided with an enlarged head or end 22 at the outer end thereof which may be at or concave on the surface facing a projectile. Inwardly of the end 16, the plunger 20 is provided with a disk 24 mounted thereon with the disk 24 being substantially equal in diameter to the barrel 12. A plurality of projections 26 are formed on the plunger 20 outwardly of the disk 24 2,891,795 Patented June 23, 1959 ICC for limiting the outward movement of the plunger 20 and limiting the movement of the disk 24 on the plunger 20. The end 16 may be in the form of a removable cap having a depending flange 28 telescoped over the barrel 12, with the end member 16 being provided with an upwardly and outwardly struck lug 30 for extending through an aperture 32 in a catch plate or disk 34 which also has a central aperture 36 encircling the plunger 20. A coil spring 38 is disposed between the catch plate 34 and the end member 16 for biasing the catch plate 34 outwardly into an inclined position as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 for engaging diametric portions of the plunger 20 and binding the plunger 20 in longitudinally adjusted position. With the device in Figure 2, inward movement on the enlarged head 22 will cause the plate 34 generally to swing towards a position perpendicular to the plunger 20 and permit the plunger 20 to move inwardly. When the pressure on the enlarged head 22 of the plunger 20 is released, the spring 38 will pivot the plate 34 to an inclined position as illustrated in Figure 3 wherein the aperture 36 will bind or frictionally engage the plunger 20 for retaining the same in retracted position within the barrel 12.

For urging the plunger 20 outwardly of the barrel 12, there is provided a compression coil spring 40 which has one end thereof abutting the under-surface of the disk 24 and the other end thereof received in a cylindrical pocket 42 mounted on the bottom or closed end 14 of the barrel 12. The coil spring 40 encircles that portion of the plunger 20 inwardly of the disk 24 which also acts as a guide for the spring 40 with the terminal or inner end of the plunger 20 being received just within the spring guide and receiver 42 when the plunger 20 is completely retracted.

For manually releasing vthe catch plate 34 when the plunger 20 is in retracted position, a iiexible member 44 is connected to the edge of the plate 34 diametrically opposed to the lug 30 with the member 44 extending longitudinally alongside theY barrel 12 and attached to one end of an elongated handle member 46. The elongated handle member 46 has a pair of inwardly and laterally extending lugs 48 and 50 thereon disposed at opposite ends of the elongated handle member 46 with the lugs 48 and 50 extending through slots 52 respectively with the lugs 48 and 50 extending laterally in opposite directions against the interior of the barrel 12 thus slidably mounting the handle member 46 on the barrel 12. Centrally of the handle member 46 there is provided an outwardly extending plate portion 54 having a linger receiving notch 56 in the edge thereof facing the plunger head 22 whereby retraction of the handle member 46 towards the closed end 14 of the barrel 12 will move the catch plate 34 to substantially parallel relation to the end 16 of the barrel 12 thus permitting the plunger 20 to move from a retracted position shown in Figure 3 to an extended position shown in Figure 2 whereby an article or projectile disposed in front of the enlarged head 22 will be launched due to the rapid longitudinal movement of the plunger 20 caused by the compressed spring 40.

Mounted rigidly with the barrel 12 in diametric opposed relation thereto is an elongated handle member 58 having a nger receiving notch 60 therein. The handle member 58 is generally identical to the handle member 46 except that it is not longitudinally movable and is xed rigid with the barrel 12. These handle members 46 and 58 will generally simulate an airborne device such as a space ship or the like. The cylindrical barrel 12 is provided with a projecting lower end portion 62 having a base 64 connected therewith and which may be removable therefrom. The extension 62 is provided with notches 66 therein which may be engaged by the thumb with the finger receiving notches 56 and 60 being engaged by two fingers of the same hand thus permitting one hand operation of the shooter since it is only necessary to move the handle member 46 to release the plunger which may be moved to a retracted position by exerting longitudinal inwardly force on the enlarged head 22. The base 64 may be in the form of a pair of downwardly and outwardly inclined supporting members 68 which are curved and provided with diverging end edges 70 which generally simulate a rocket base and the spacing of the members 68 is such that it permits the thumb or fingers to engage the bottom end of the barrel 12 to use the device in a portable nature or for supporting the barrel 12 in vertical relation for permitting the projectiles to be displaced vertically upwardly if desired.

The device of the present invention may be used for various purposes and small children may use the same safely to project balls, marbles or the like. A child confined to bed will find that this toy provides amusement since the toy may be used to shoot any number of small objects by merely releasing the plunger with the enlarged head adjacent to or against the article whereby the article will be projected. Most of the parts of the invention could be constructed of plastic, sheet metal or an equivalent inexpensive material.

The exible member i4 may be a flexible wire, leather or any other suitable material having sufficient strength characteristics as well as long wearing qualities. The shooter may be reloaded or reset by placing the end of the plunger 20 into the palm of the opposite hand and with pressure being exerted by the hand holding the shooter, the plunger 20 is forced into the barrel until in its firing position in which position it is held by the catch plate 34 until released by the wire member 44 and handle member 46.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. A toy shooter comprising a cylindrical barrel, a plunger longitudinally movably disposed in said barrel, one end of said plunger projecting from said barrel, said one end of the plunger being enlarged for engagement with a projectile, spring means urging said plunger longitudinally outwardly of the barrel, and catch means retaining tbe plunger retracted in said barrel with the spring means biasing the plunger outwardly whereby said catch means may be released for permitting outward movement of the plunger for launching a projectile, said catch means includes a plate pivotally attached to said barrel at the end thereof adjacent the enlarged head of i the plunger, said plate having an aperture encircling the plunger, spring means biasing the plate to an inclined relation for frictionally engaging the plunger for holding the plunger in retracted position, a iiexible member connected to said plate in diametric opposition to its pivotal attaching point, and a handle member slidably mounted on the barrel and connected to said exible member for releasing the plate when the handle member is retracted.

2. A projector for missiles comprising an elongated barrel having a closed lower end and an apertured upper end, an elongated plunger slidably extending through the apertured end of the barrel, a head on the outer end of the plunger for engaging a missile, a coil spring extending between the closed lower end and the inner end portion of the plunger resiliently urging the plunger axially outwardly of the barrel, a ange on said plunger in spaced relation to the inner end thereof forming an abutment for the upper end of the spring and limiting the outward movement of the plunger, a disk overlying the apertured upper end of the barrel and pivotally connected to the end edge of the barrel, said disk being apertured and slidably receiving said plunger, spring means disposed between the disk and the upper end of the barrel for resiliently urging the disk upwardly about its point of mounting on the barrel for frictionally binding the plunger in retracted position with the coil spring compressed, a exible member connected with said disk at a point diametrically opposed to the point of mounting of the disk on the barrel, a handle member longitudinally slidably mounted on said barrel, said flexible member being connected with the handle member whereby downward movement of the handle member causes the disk to move into parallel relation to the upper end of the barrel thereby releasing the plunger with the coil spring urging the plunger outwardly, the spring means underlying the disk serving to frictionally bind the plunger in any retracted position when the handle member is released and the plunger pushed inwardly.

3. The structure as defined in claim 2 wherein said barrel is provided with a pair of downwardly extending and outwardly ared base members terminating in a horizontal plane for engagement with a supporting surface thereby supporting the barrel in upstanding condition for launching of missiles in a vertical direction from the head.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,590,264 Sweigart June 29, 1926 2,419,770 Glass Apr. 29, 1947 2,455,978 Colaluca Dec. 14, 1948 2,499,883 Shields Mar. 7, 1950 2,522,160 Borchers Sept. 12, 1950 2,664,077 Moore Dec. 29, 1953 

